Town Square

Don Horsley Breaks Campaign promise to Double Dip into the County Coffers

Original post made
by Susan Smith, Woodside: other,
on Dec 27, 2012

Retired sheriff Don Horsley, who opted to forego his county supervisor salary while collecting a $200,000 pension after being elected to the board two years ago, began collecting a paycheck again this month. Horsley's special salary waiver expired on Nov. 10 and Horsley decided to begin accepting payment, he announced Wednesday. Supervisors earn approximately $115,000 annually plus another roughly $25,000 more in benefits. During his 2010 campaign, Horsley said he would forego both if elected.

Posted by Leslie Stepp
a resident of Woodside: Skywood/Skylonda
on Dec 27, 2012 at 7:03 am

Our "broke his election promise" Supervisor is now double dipping, pulling salary, accruing benefits, and pulling frompension funds at the same time. I live in his district...and have a little free time on my hands...not a good sign on the horizon for Supervisor-the county is my bankroll- Donald-Horsley .....Shame on him....oh...and he is also one of the Supervisors who unanimously voted to up the salary and benefits of a double dipping and formerly retired and potentiallydouble dipping San Mateo County Manager. by 11% of the potentially Shameless. Let's hope newly elected Warren Slocum does no follow suit. Otherwise, District 3 shoud look for sincere representation.

Posted by Michael G Stogner
a resident of another community
on Dec 27, 2012 at 7:35 am

That didn't take very long. I remember when a reporter called me to see if i would match Don Horsley's pledge to not accept any of the Supervisor salary and benefits for as long as he held that seat. My response was f No. He asked me what I thought about it , I said "you have a man who is investing $458,000 plus a promise to not accept salary and benefits it sounds like low self esteem."

Don't forget Don and Adrienne just brought you a Jail, and $600,000,000 in new taxes with measure A , they starred in the commercial, Don told us we will be safer.

Posted by Michael G. Stogner
a resident of another community
on Dec 28, 2012 at 9:54 am

Well said John,

What Don Horsley knows is there is Nothing you and I can do about it. Don knew all the time once he was elected he could do this. He was the only candidate who made this promise, none of the rest of us running would match it or even discuss it.

Posted by Steamer
a resident of Woodside: other
on Dec 28, 2012 at 1:15 pm

I am glad I didn't vote for Don [portion removed; be respectful] Horsley. Unbelievable that he gets a $200k pension. Even more so that we pay the Supervisors $150k plus benefits. No wonder we have to raise taxes.

Posted by Michael G Stogner
a resident of another community
on Dec 30, 2012 at 12:07 pm

By Shaun Bishop 01/20/10

San Mateo County supervisor candidate to forgo salary if elected

The former sheriff of San Mateo County said he will forgo a salary if elected to the Board of Supervisors.

Former Sheriff Don Horsley announced this week that he would pass on the $115,000 annual salary paid to supervisors, as well as health and retirement benefits, if he wins a five-way race to replace termed-out Supervisor Rich Gordon.

Horsley said supervisors will have to make tough decisions to erase a projected $100 million budget deficit and in the process may have to lay off employees or ask them to take pay cuts.

"You really have to lead by example, and I think that's the example I want to set, the tone I want to set for this election," said Horsley, who receives a taxpayer-funded pension of more than $200,000 per year.

Posted by Menlo Voter
a resident of Menlo Park: other
on Dec 30, 2012 at 4:02 pm

"Horsley said supervisors will have to make tough decisions to erase a projected $100 million budget deficit and in the process may have to lay off employees or ask them to take pay cuts."

Just goes to show you how full of it Horsley is. Right after he gets elected he votes in a 3% pay INCREASE for deputies. The latest "cut" was an 11% pay increase for the county manager. Oh and we need to build a new jail we don't really need also. Layoffs? Haven't heard of any. This guy is beyond full of it.

Posted by Michael G Stogner
a resident of another community
on Dec 30, 2012 at 7:31 pm

I would like to thank Susan Smith of Woodside for starting this thread I just noticed that the Almanac has not done a story on this subject. I would also like to thank Bonnie Eslinger for bringing us this important story.Web Link

Bonnie writes for 3 papers the San Mateo County Times with around 80,000 copies chose not to publish her story. Another free paper described what Don Horsley did was simply change his mind no mention of the broken election promise at all. The Half Moon Bay Review nothing printed. So in fact very few people are even aware of this so far.

Posted by Michael G Stogner
a resident of another community
on Dec 31, 2012 at 8:10 am

Here is the only other article sort of on this subject, it is pretty misleading. There is no mention that Don Horsley was the only candidate out of 5 promising if elected not to accept the salary and benefits that the Supervisor positions pays.

Posted by Susan Smith
a resident of Woodside: other
on Dec 31, 2012 at 9:11 am

Thank you for your nice words, Michael. I understand Supervisor Warren Slocum does not double dip. It is a shame about Supervisor Horsely, because, while a nice person, basing his choice to double dip on his lack of personal fiscal management crosses over to demonstrating weakness in the area County business management...at a time when the County most needs it. I understand his wife also is employed, and pulls salary from the County. I hope the fact the Supervisors now are pinned to representing their own districts, the behaviour at the supervisorial level will improve. Perhaps they could start by setting the hour of their meetings so working people can actually attend. In the meantime, trying to slip this news story under the rug by the Almanac is starting to seem less an event, and more a pattern